#1Film, TV & Stage
Walt Disney
1901–1966American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company
217 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Chicago
Scientists and doctors stand out among the 37 famous people born in Chicago
Best known of all is Walt Disney, written about in 217 languages. Most were born between 1920 and 1969: 24 of them. For every 10,000 residents the town has 0.1, while at least half the towns in Illinois list nobody born there. From Edgar Rice Burroughs to Sam Altman, the births on the list run from 1875 to 1985.
Born here
37
notable people
Best known
Walt Disney
in 217 Wikipedia languages
First
1875
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Youngest
1985
Sam Altman
Most common field
Film, TV & Stage
11 people
Also called it home
8
notable residents
What stands out about Chicago’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Chicago
Counted by languages, Walt Disney is ahead of Leo XIV and Robin Williams: 217, 174 and 161.
#1LX#2
Science & Medicine
Leo XIV
born 1955267th Pope of the Catholic Church
174 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Film, TV & Stage
Robin Williams
1951–2014American actor and comedian
161 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Known for
What Chicago is known for
The field furthest above the usual share is scientists and doctors, at 4.1 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years
When Chicago’s famous people were born
More were born in the 1940s than in any other decade: 8.
Film, TV & StageScience & MedicineWriting & ArtsMusicSportsBusinessPolitics & LawNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Chicago
Of the other 34, 9 are performers.
James Watson
1928–2025American molecular biologist, geneticist, zoologist and Nobel Laureate
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Robert Zemeckis
born 1952American screenwriter, film producer and director
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Martin Chalfie
born 1947American biochemist, cell biologist, and university teacher
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
CM Punk
born 1978American professional wrestler, actor, and retired mixed martial artist
SportsWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Chicago home
Born elsewhere, they lived here: 8 in all, led by Kurt Vonnegut.
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Chicago?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Your pick
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Close by, Park Ridge counts 45 famous people, the most of its neighbours.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Chicago and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (25)
- Walt Disney: Boy Scouts of America, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Robin Williams: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michelle Obama: Lawrence Jackson, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bobby Fischer: Bert Verhoeff for Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harrison Ford: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- James Watson: Newspaper Enterprise Association, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Philip K. Dick: Arthur Knight (photographer), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Clarke Duncan: Movieguide®, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gloria Swanson: RKO Studio, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Raymond Chandler: Photographer uncredited. Published by Alfred A. Knopf., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Edgar Rice Burroughs: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Garry Shandling: Angela George at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Crichton: Jon Chase photo/Harvard News Office, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Zemeckis: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hugh Hefner: Luke Ford, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Betty Ford: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Raquel Welch: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sam Altman: Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ben Roy Mottelson: GFHund, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kurt Vonnegut: Bernard Gotfryd / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jennifer Lawrence: Ciné Zooms 2, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cormac McCarthy: From dust jacket: "Photograph of Cormac McCarthy by David Styles", Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ana Ivanovic: Tatiana from Moscow, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Karen Black: Vanessa Lua at https://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessalua/, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons